Crystal Cavern
by Tera
Summary: Explanation of how Lucrecia ended up behind the waterfall.


Crystal Cavern 

By Tera

The scientist collapsed onto the library's cold floor. She knew what was coming next and her body trembled with the anticipation and horror of what would become of her. It didn't matter. Months ago she had made a conscious decision that had sealed the fate of both herself and the life of her child. Perhaps, in the end some would argue that the decision had not been hers to make, though she had proceeded nonetheless. Oh, but it had put a smile on his thin face when she nodded her head in agreement. Her fingernails dug deep into the dirt in pain and she sighed in exhaustion. She remembered it vividly, the way Hojo had gently taken her into his arms afterwards, clutching her and making her feel even surer of her decision. He was often a very cold man who never lingered on affections, but more on words. Emotions and affections, he said one time, only clouded the mind of logical reasoning.

He was always rather aloof… 

Her teeth clenched from the contractions caused by Sephiroth. Hojo had said he would be back soon all she had to do was hold on a little longer. It didn't matter. He didn't have to be the most passionate man. She was dedicated to him, dedicated to him like her position. No, no it couldn't be all for work, there had to be something else? What was it? The woman tried to pull herself from ground and she succeeded in crawling her way to the aged mahogany desk. In her weakened form she pulled the picture of him off the desk and closer to her, staring curiously as if she had never seen the man in her life. Her hand caressed his face, trying to find something in his slim features and confident smirk. 

"Lucrecia… is it time?" Hojo suddenly appeared from the door. He stood there, staring at her slouched posture and red features. He slowly began to smile at her, but it seemed more menacing than comforting. 

"I-, it hurts so badly, Hojo…" She could barely speak and her hand carelessly dropped the picture of him onto the floor. 

He came closer and picked the picture off the ground, "I know… Sephiroth is very powerful. He's born from Jenova, he's will be the son of an Ancient." 

Her face suddenly grew white with shock. Lucrecia had been injected with Jenova cells, but still considered Sephiroth to be her son. It was she who carried Sephiroth and it was she who would raise him and love him, not cells in a petri dish. 

"…My son." She attempted to pull her head from the desk, but Hojo pushed her back with ease. 

"There, there my darling, Lucrecia…" He said setting his head down assertively besides hers. "There's no need to think of such things right now."

She looked into his face and was horrified. His hair was undone, covering most of his face, a mess, and his eyes seemed on fire, his forehead creased and his lips became thin, pulled back in a look of contempt for the woman. He looked at her as if she were nothing. She couldn't even move to fight him. If only she could escape with Sephiroth, she thought. Instead, she remained powerless with her face unnaturally pushed against the antique desk and her body drooped over in submissiveness. Suddenly, with another jolt of pain she realized it. The tea he had given her, the medications, all of it seemed to make her weaker. She had always said it didn't matter. What she did was more for the good of science than her own being and he had taken advantage of her. He had done this to her. Had he not cared about her all this time…? Through all of it…was he only thinking of his experiment? 

Of course… 

She had been blind, horribly blind and now she was at the mercy of Hojo.

*  *  *

When she awoke she found herself shivering from the cold of an icy cavern and her head propped against the arm of a crystal chair. She still felt incredibly weakened, but now she felt she could at least move and speak. In an attempt to find her bearings her head moved curiously from side to side, greeted with only crystal walls on each direction. Where was she? Where was her child, where was Hojo? 

"I see you have awakened," She looked up only to be greeted with Hojo, nodding at her in disapproval. "It seems no matter what I attempt you continue to live."

"Why have you done this, Hojo? What have you done to me?" She could tell he was surprised by how much strength she possessed and he continued to gaze at her like a scientist would at his new discovery.

"I cannot let you interfere with Sephiroth. In order to be the perfect soldier he must never know your love, only the love of the Shinra. And in all my power I shall see to this." He was determined and in her current position he knew he had the advantage. 

"Are you insane? He isn't a soldier he's our child." She made an attempt to sit up in protest, but the dizziness quickly brought her down.

"It's the best I can do Lucrecia, just as I did with Vincent. The Jenova within you will not let you die." With that he turned his back to her and began to walk away.

"You can't do this! What about our plans? I won't even be able to hold him…" In desperation she struggled to stand to pursue him, only to fall head onto the icy ground. He left her all alone there, cold, shivering and aching for life. She was alone, to rot and to be tortured by thoughts of Sephiroth and a life she could not have. She would become lifeless, like the walking dead and he didn't care. No child, no love, no life and no future. All she had was a Crystal Cavern. 

The End


End file.
